Hybrid Work Mistakes That Could Cost Your Company Everything
Hybrid — meaning a mix between on-site and remote work — is becoming a reality for today's workforce. However, companies that do not implement it correctly could be faced with peril.
Dan Bladen, CEO and co-founder of workplace management software Kadence, at a panel slot during CREtech New York 2024, broke down the use of the hybrid and how it affects business operations.
As he put it: "Companies that don't get hybrid right will cease to exist, and companies that do get hybrid right will outperform their competitors."
Those who fail see multiple troubling signs such as higher costs, a disconnected workforce, and weak retention.
DO MORE WITH LESS
So how do you implement the ideal hybrid environment for your business? Kadence, which has tracked data from tens of thousands of successful employers using a model, lists reducing on-site space as one of the most important factors. Hosting places to work is one of the biggest expenses for employers, according to Bladen.
"You need to do more with less," he said.
"In 2025, we find that workplace leaders are being asked to transform from being facilities leaders, managing square foot for furniture floor plans, lease agreements, to facilitators of work."
Also, through Kadence, Bladen said that on low-traffic days in the office like Fridays, employers will turn off their floors to save money.
IMPROVING ENGAGEMENT
It's also important to keep employees engaged. Off-site events can help with this process — but it needs to be the correct ones. Specifically, those that bring employees together for interaction.
"Peloton, on average, has over 100 events internally every single month, gathering their distributed, remote and in-office teams together for these moments," Bladen told the audience.
He added, quoting something he heard from Indeed: "Every interaction from booking a conference room to joining a virtual Happy Hour must feel like a single part of a thoughtfully designed experience. The technology shouldn't just exist. It should disappear into the background while making every interaction effortless. We know that everybody's favorite office amenity is not ping pong or that dried mango fruit bar. It's actually each other."
Bladen said that Zillow spends $13 million on its company events annually.
Implementing the proper hybrid work model could lead to a 35 percent reduction in resignations and even employees taking an average of a $13,000 pay cut to not go into the office each day, according to Bladen.
Source: GlobeSt/ALM